Watch The Hitman's Bodyguard on Netflix

If you want to watch a fun action movie then you should definitely check out hitman's bodyguard. It's an outrageous movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson and you can watch it on Netflix in the USA and elsewhere.

It's a violent, swearing-filled buddy action comedy about two men who are experts with guns. Expect explosions, close-up brawls and killings.

Plot

A disgraced elite private bodyguard (Reynolds) gets a call from an old flame (Elodie Yung) to protect a world class hitman who's being tried at the International Criminal Court. But the bodyguard's past isn't what's on the line; he's going to have to put aside his differences and work with the hitman to make it to the court in one piece.

While the plot isn't exactly original, it's still a fun ride. Action fans will love the high-speed car chases and boat escapades throughout Europe, while the film's pacing is smooth. It's also a great showcase for Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson's comedic chops, but the film coasts on their banter a bit too much.

The premise is a simple one: two men with opposite personalities and different philosophies are thrown together for a 24-hour trip across Europe. They'll meet high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator.

But the best part of this movie isn't the action, it's the characters. Michael Bryce (Reynolds) is a former elite bodyguard who's lost his way since the death of Takashi Kurosawa, his client and top-level scumbag. After a series of bad decisions, he has become a low-rent bodyguard for shady types who have money.

Despite this, he manages to keep his head in the game as he goes to bat for a convicted killer who's on trial for crimes against humanity. But he also has to deal with his clingy ex-wife Sonia (Hayesk), who is back in jail after being rearrested for her crimes.

There's a lot to like about The Hitman's Bodyguard, but it ultimately feels like a step back in time. These days, romantic interests are three-dimensional, not purely there to advance the story.

Characters

The world's top bodyguard gets a new client: a hitman on his way to testify at the International Criminal Court. It isn't a good fit, but when bullets start flying they must set aside their differences and work together to make it to the trial alive and on time.

The hitman, Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson), has agreed to testify in the trial of crooked Belarus dictator Vladislav Dhukovich, but the security convoy escorting him is attacked by a gang of armed assassins. As the two men are forced to work together, they discover a link between them.

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), an ex-triple-A bodyguard, is hired to protect Kincaid from Manchester to the Hague, and soon finds that he and the convicted killer share similar backgrounds. They both have different personalities, but they are bonded through their love of action movies and are forced to team up to save the day.

There's a lot of banter between the two leads, but the film lags on its action-comedy cliches. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 43% approval rating based on 226 reviews and an average score of 5.2/10.

Patrick Hughes directed The Hitman's Bodyguard, which was released in August 2017. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, with Gary Oldman, Salma Hayek, Elodie Yung, Joaquim de Almeida and Barry Atsma in supporting roles.

The movie is available on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DIRECTV, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand, and Alamo on Demand. It can also be rented for a small fee. If you can't find the movie on these platforms, there are some titles on Netflix like 6 Underground (2019), Red Notice (2021), Central Intelligence (2016), Extraction (2020), and Shaft (2019) that are thematically similar to The Hitman's Bodyguard.

Humour

The Hitman's Bodyguard is an action comedy with a rascally edge. It relies on Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson to yell out their lines at full volume, and the two star together in a number of slapstick moments that elicit laughter without necessarily adding to the story.

The film is divided between a plot that seems like it could have been written in week-old bread and a series of racially or sexually focused jokes that don't work. It also takes a risk to throw in an interpersonal drama, which is not a bad idea but doesn't quite work.

It's a shame, too, because the comedy and the acting in The Hitman's Bodyguard are both very good. Especially the Amsterdam chase sequence, which is crammed with stunning tracking shots and surreal humour that only works because the movie refuses to obey a strict action-comedy formula.

In a scene that might be considered borderline offensive, Ryan Reynolds' character is whining to the bartender about his partner Jackson as gunshots ring out and people rush for safety. It's one of the many moments that make The Hitman's Bodyguard an unpleasant and frustrating experience to watch.

Salma Hayek plays Sonia, the hitman's girlfriend, who is incarcerated in Amsterdam and is on the run from a shady interpol agent (Ed Sheeran) who has given her the hit man's details to testify at the International Court of Justice. She's a good character, but she's also subjected to some of the most nauseatingly vile and unfunny humor in the movie.

The main problem with the humour in The Hitman's Bodyguard is that it becomes increasingly unfunny and incoherently directed as the movie goes on, as well as relying too heavily on Jackson and Hayek to yell out their lines at full voice. It's a sadistic edge to this movie that doesn't belong to a comedy, and it makes it hard to watch.

Action

In this outrageous action comedy, one of the world's best bodyguards is tasked with protecting a world class hitman. In order to survive, they have to put their differences aside and work together.

The film is directed by Patrick Hughes, who has previously worked on a number of high-adrenaline action movies like The Expendables 3 (2014). He's also worked with a number of top stars, and it's clear that he has the chops to pull off a movie like this.

Director Hughes does a good job of keeping the action at a steady pace. He's able to ratchet up the tension without making it feel cheesy or cynical, and his soundtrack is superb. It's filled with gunshots and explosions that will give you a great sense of what's going on.

There's also a decent amount of gun use, so parents need to know that this film is not suitable for children under 18. In addition, it has some swearing and violence, and it can be quite graphic.

When the action does kick in, it's often very satisfying, thanks to director Hughes' dazzling Dolby Atmos sound mix. You'll hear plenty of gunfire and explosions throughout the film, as well as the occasional close-up brawl or killing.

As with most action comedies, there's a bit of banter between the leads. This is part of the appeal, but the characters never really gel as a pair and don't get to share much more than quips about each other until the action kicks in again.

This isn't a bad film, but it's not as good as other buddy action comedies that have been released recently. It's still a solid effort and Jackson and Reynolds are great together, but the chemistry that makes them funny just isn't there here.

Conclusion

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action movie with plenty of violence. It features frequent shoot-outs with automatic/semi-automatic weapons, explosions, close-up brawls/killings and an enormous body count. Families should talk about the film’s violent content, which may be unsuitable for younger children or those with sensitive skin. There are also scenes of sexual innuendo and language that are not appropriate for some young audiences.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is not available on most popular OTT platforms in the UK, but it can be streamed on Netflix and other streaming services at a price. The movie is also available to rent on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DIRECTV, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand, Alamo on Demand at an extra cost. Families can use a VPN to access these streaming services in the UK and watch The Hitman’s Bodyguard without restrictions. We recommend ExpressVPN, which lets you filter entire categories and sub-categories of The Hitman’s Bodyguard for the most suitable viewing. In addition, you can also use a filter to block the use of obscene or offensive language in the movie.